How To Remove A Pulley From A Keyed Shaft

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A woodruff primal is installed in the hub of a caster or gear so that the pulley or gear does not slip off the shaft it is attached to or spin freely. These keys are institute in motorized devices such every bit lawn mowers, motorcycles, and cars and are held in place by a threaded fastener. By removing a key, you can remove and modify other parts of your vehicle or supplant a bad key to better performance.^[i]

1. 1

   Apply penetrating oil. Put this direct onto the pulley and shaft surface area to loosen whatsoever corrosion that will make the pulley hard to move.Those that come up in spray bottles are handy and volition yet be effective for getting into and breaking up rust on metallic.

2. ii

   Remove the threaded fastener. This holds the pulley in place and can be undone with a tool such equally a crank remover or wrench. If the threads are damaged, more tools and methods volition have to be utilized, such every bit pliers.^[2]

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3. three

   Clean the shaft. If in that location is whatever rust or dirt on the shaft, lightly sand or castor it. The hub of the caster unremarkably is fit well to the shaft, and so the debris can prevent a loosened pulley from sliding off.

4. iv

   Loosen the pulley nut. Do any you can to stop the pulley from turning, and so use a tool such as a socket or ring spanner on the nut until the pulley can be removed.^[3]

5. 5

   Pry off the caster. Place a pry bar or a large screwdriver behind the caster, if there is a surface behind it to use equally leverage. If not, you can attempt hit the dorsum of the pulley with a hammer while applying force per unit area with the pry bar or screwdriver.^[iv]

   • Use a soft-faced hammer to avert dissentious the components. If you use a normal hammer, hold a wood cake confronting the fastener and shaft.
   • Tap the pulley shaft with the hammer. Don't use too much force per unit area. For steel hammers, insulate the shaft, nut, and commodities before striking.

6. 6

   Accept out the key. On the at present freed caster, look for a semicircular piece inset into the shaft. This is the Woodruff key. Grip the sides of the fundamental with pliers and remove information technology. If pliers don't work, effort to wedge it out with a pocket-sized screwdriver. These keys are delicate, so force can easily damage them, simply keys are easily and cheaply ordered in hardware and machine part stores or online and replaced. Remove any shredded key bits in the machine so they don't cause damage later on.^[5]

   • You can try tapping a nail on one end of the key, drilling into the center of the key and removing information technology with a boom, or even heating the key up with a blowtorch and letting it absurd repeatedly to loosen it.
   • Remember that damaging the key is a far better alternative than damaging the shaft or other function around the key.

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1. 1

   Select the right size. These claw-like devices come in different sizes. Y'all tin can utilize measuring tape to find out the diameter of the pulley so that y'all tin buy or rent one that expands to fit over the pulley.

   • Yous'll need an appropriate socket wrench to conform the forcing spiral on the gear puller.

2. two

   Fit the arms. In one case the gear puller is set, the eye bolt should engage the pulley shaft in proper alignment to foreclose slippage. Conform the arms and then that the puller'due south jaws are set at about right angles against the caster or gear.^{[half dozen]}

3. three

   Tighten the forcing screw. Use the socket wrench to tighten the screw at the end of the gear puller until the screw touches the pulley shaft. Continue turning until the caster can slide gratuitous.

   • You tin can strike the exposed cease of the gear puller with a hammer to try to loosen the pulley.^[seven]

4. 4

   Remove the Woodruff key. On the freed caster, locate the semicircular shape in the shaft. This is the key and information technology can be removed by gripping the sides with pliers or wedging one end with a screwdriver. The key may exist stuck. If that is the case, culling and peradventure damaging measures need to be taken. Remember to remove any shredded key $.25.

   • Try tapping down on one end of the key with a hammer and smash. Another option is to drill into the center of the key and remove it with a nail.
   • Quickly heating the key with a blowtorch and letting information technology cool tin help loosen it.
   • Remember that these keys are cheap and readily available online or at hardware and auto part stores, so causing impairment to information technology may exist necessary. Damaging the parts effectually it is a more costly idea.

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Add New Question

• Question

  What if I tin can't remove the key from the shaft?

  

  You can try to tap out the key with a chisel or pin puncher. You can also quickly rut upwards the fundamental with a torch and attempt to remove information technology again when it cools. You lot can as well drill into it and use a screw or other device to take it out. Whatever you do, avoid dissentious the shaft around the key.

• Question

  I take a Predator 500. Will the Woodruff central make it not start?

  

  If the key is on your flywheel, yeah, equally it controls the engine'due south spark via the magneto.

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• Lawnmowers accept a "shear" key, which prevents impairment to the crankshaft, located in the hub of the flywheel or magneto. These often cause the engine to refuse to run but are hands replaced when yous learn how to remove them.

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• Wear safety spectacles when using a hammer to strike another metal surface or tool.

• Use care using lubricating oils. They are often flammable and harmful to skin and eyes.

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Things You lot'll Need

• Wrenches
• Prying tool
• Soft-faced hammer
• Penetrating oil
• Gear puller, if needed

About This Article

Article Summary X

Woodruff keys are establish in motorized devices and are installed in the hubs of pulleys or gears then they don't slip off the shaft or spin freely. If you need to remove a woodruff key, you tin do it using pliers. Start by removing the threaded fastener that holds the pulley in place, loosening the pulley nut, and prying off the pulley with a pry bar or screwdriver. Then, grip the key, which is the semicircular slice inset into the shaft, with pliers and pull it off. You lot can too utilise a gear puller to remove the key. Conform the artillery and then its jaws are at right angles against the pulley or gear. Tighten the forcing screw until the caster slides free and you can locate the key. And then, remove it with pliers. To learn how to remove clay and grime that may make the pulley hard to motion, go along reading!

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-a-Woodruff-Key

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